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Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Chifilmfest Review: France delivers the delightful "Chateau"

Chicago International Film Festival Review

Chateau

Charles is his name, and street hustling is his game.

But Charles walks the downtown Paris streets, dressed
to the nines is suave attire, not hustling prostitution or drugs or other
contraband. No, he gets people excited for a salon that has recruited him and a
handful of other street hustlers. The salon hires street hustlers to get people
to go to the salon. Charles, played by Jacky Ido, is one of the very best in
the business, and he makes several of the other hustlers envious, some admire
him, others will do anything to weaken his street cred. All Charles wants to do
is make enough money to buy the barbershop of a friend who wants to retire.

This is the story of “Chateau,” a dramatic comedy from
France. This is a colorful, stylish film that packs an unexpected punch. There
are many laughs throughout the movie, but it’s got a heart that never feels
sappy, nor does it ever force you to roll your eyes. No easy task that is, and
this film makes it all look effortless.

Jacky Ido is great as Charles. Now, you probably know
who Jacky Ido is, whether you realize it or not. Did you ever see Quentin
Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds?” Do you remember Marcel? He was Shoshanna’s
boyfriend, who lit the celluloid on fire with his cigarette that set Shoshanna’s
movie theater on fire and killed hundreds of Nazis? That’s Jacky Ido. He dishes
a revelatory performance, commanding the screen with ease. He’s joined by a
great ensemble cast, full of French actors I will be putting on my radar.
Jean-Baptiste Anoumon is laugh-out-loud funny as Moussa, Tatiana Rojo is
charming as Fatou, Ahmed Zirek is delightfully evil as Mourat. The film is rich
in performance, and it only elevates the material.

The film doesn’t revolutionize a genre. It doesn’t
transcend movies as we know it. This is a small little movie. It’s one of those
slice-of-life films that focuses on a group of people on a random few days in
their lives. There are moments that will make you laugh and moments that will
make you think. Sure, the movie kind of comes together nicely and puts a happy
bow on top of it, but that’s the movies for you. “Chateau” is a little on the
formulaic side, but there is plenty here for everyone to enjoy.